Sleep Out Brunswick returns for third year to support housing services

Bolivia, NC (WWAY) — Registration is open for the third annual Sleep Out Brunswick, a fundraiser benefiting Brunswick Partnership for Housing and its services for people and families experiencing homelessness.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and continue until 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Brunswick Community College’s Alan Holden Public Safety Building in Bolivia.

Participants will spend the night in tents, cardboard boxes or vehicles while raising money for Brunswick Partnership for Housing. The nonprofit works with people and families seeking permanent housing and advocates for affordable housing in Brunswick County.

“Sleep Out Brunswick is more than a fundraiser; it’s truly an experience,” committee chair Susan Crabtree said. “I’m sleeping in a tent for the third year. It gives me a humble appreciation for what those who are unsheltered must go through every day.”

The event will also include a poverty simulation intended to give participants a better understanding of challenges associated with homelessness.

People who cannot attend the main event can participate off-site anytime between Sept. 16 and Oct. 16. Participants can form or join a team, raise donations and spend the night somewhere other than their usual bed, including in a driveway, backyard or church parking lot.

According to Brunswick Partnership for Housing, the organization has served more than 2,000 people experiencing homelessness over the past five years.

During the past year, the organization said its outreach program served 407 people through intake, referrals and case management. Of those, 307 people received emergency shelter for a combined 650 nights. The organization also reported that 58 people moved into permanent housing through its Rapid Rehousing program.

Brunswick Partnership for Housing is also working toward a seven-unit workforce housing project next to its building on East 11th Street in Southport. The project has received approval from the Southport Planning Board.

Registration is required for both on-site and off-site Sleep Out Brunswick participants and is available through the Brunswick Partnership for Housing website.